Multistage converter



Feb. 18, 1930. H. o. c. lsENBl-:RG 1,747,634

MULTISTAGE coNvEnTER original f Filed nec. 19, 192s 2 sheets-sheet 1'flrrll 4 Tro'R/vs rs Feb. 18, 1930. H. o. c;` lsENB'l-:RG

HULTISTAGE CONVERTER Original Filed Dec. 19. 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 mmEssY /NvENToR MM5 0. tiff/vains 0g BY moe/vers Patented Feb. 18, 1930UNITED STATES iArinsrr'v ori-'ics f HANS O; C. ISENBERG, F NEW ROCHELLE,NEW YORK, ASIGNOR 'TO CHEMICAL COMPANY, OF NEW YORK,'N. Y., ACORPORATION 0I' NEW YORK MULTISTAGE CONVERTER' Application-med December19, 1925, Serial No. 76,473. Renewed March 1, 1923.

and arrange the cooling system that contamination of the catalyticmaterial by scale from the coolers is prevented. Other objects willappear from the following description and by reference to theaccompanying drawings forming a part hereof and wherein a satisfactoryexample of an apparatus embodying the v principlesor` my invent-ion isillustrated.

In said drawings, Fig. 1 is an elevation partly in section of anapparatus constructed in accordance with the principles of my invention;Fig. 2 is a plan View partly in section of the structure shown in Fig.1; and

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional detail through one of the connectingsections of the multiso stage converter.

The reference character A indicates a multi-stage converter, consistingin the illustrated example of nine cylindrical sections arrangedin'superposed relation and secured together at their flanged upper andlower extremities by any suitable means such as the bolts 10. Theconverter A as shown includes four converter sections B, C, D, and E, aprimary inlet section, a final outlet section, and

three chambered or vestibul'elsections interposed 'between successiveconvertensections.

Each of the convertersections is of similar construction and is providedwith any sul able means such as the spaced foraminated V15 plates 11upon which -is supported the catalytic material (such as platinizedasbestos).l

A system for the circulation of any suitable cooling medium such as airis provided for cooling the. gases to be treated in their passage from`each converter stagefto the nex-t succeeding stage and also for efectinga pren liminary and final cooling of such gases in their passage to .andfrom the multi-'stage converter. This system consists-of a plurality ofcoolers designated in the drawing as cooler No. 1, No. 2, No. 3, No. 4,and No. 5. All of these coolers with the exception of No. 4'areidentical in construction and each consists of a cylindrical shell orcasing 20 which in the illustrated example, has its axisextendinghorizontally and is located to one side of' the multi-stage converter A.Mo'untedwith- 1n the casing 20 is a plurality of tubes 21l through whichlpass the gases' to be cooled, and each of said tubes preferably hasplaced x therein'a helical baille 22 to cause a swirlingmotion to begiven to the gases in their passage through the rtubes. The coolingmediuml is introduced into the casings 20 of the 'coolers through bustlepipes 23, connectedl to the side wall of each casing 20 adjacent to oneend thereof, and such medium passes f through the casing in contact withthe outer surfaces of the tubes 21, flowing counter to the gases toleave at the other end of the cas# ing through the bustle pipe 24.Communication between' the bustle pipes and casings is establishedthrough ay plurality of apertures 25 provided in the side wgalls of thecasings. The bustle pipes 23 are connected by the branchY pipes 23a tothe stand lpipe 26 which in turn is connected with the pressure side ofa blower 27, while the bustle pipes 24 are connected by the branch pipes24:a to a second stand pipe 28 leading to the suction side of the blower27, said pipe 28 having a branch 29 leading to a purge stack 30.

The gases to be treated are first passedthrough cooler No. 1, enteringthrough the pipe 31 and leaving said cooler through "the pipe 32 whichleads-to the top section ,or primary ginlet 33 of the converter A. jF'I'OmA the inlet 'section 33 the gases vpass'through the convertersection B to contact with the catalyst contained therein, leavin saidsection throu, ,rhv the bottom thereof an entering the 35 of which theypass through the pipe 36 to cooler No. 2, passingthrough the cooler andbeing returned throughthe pipe 37 to4 4.vestibule section 34fromtheilanged outlet the inlet 37 of the vestibule section 34.

p Three of these vestibule sections, indicated by the referencecharacters 34, 44, 54'are provided and interposed respectively betweenthe converter sections B and C, C and D, and D and E. Each section isprovided with a flanged outlet 35 through which the gases from theconverter section immediately above pass on their way to the coolingsystem, a flanged inlet 37', through which the gases are returned to thevestibule section, to pass therefrom to the next lower convertersection, and an inclined partition wall 38 for dividing each sectioninto two chambers 39 and 40 and delecting the gases from the upperconverter section towards the outlet 35 and from the inlet 37 towardsthe lower converter section. The inlet section 33 and the outlet section50 may be of the same construction as the vestibule section shown inFig. 3, but in that case the chamber 39 of the inlet section 33 and thechamber 40 of the outlet section 50 would remain unused.

As the reactions which take place in the later stages of the converterare less active and therefore theheat generated is less in eachsucceeding stage, cooler No. 4 is in the form of an exposed pipe 41.

Dampers 42 are preferably provided for controlling the volume of coolingmedium flowing to each of the coolers No. 1, No. 2, No. 3, and No. 5 andsimilar dampers 42el are provided in the outlet branch pipes 24' toenable the flow of air to be regulated separately for each of saidcoolers. -A damper 43 is provided in the branch 29, and in the standpipe 28 I have shown the damper 45 adjacent to an opening controlled bya shutter 46, to regulate the amount of outside air which may beadmitted through said opening to the suction side of the blower 27.

The operation is as follows: The gas to be treated flows through the.apparatus in the following path: entering cooler No. 1 through pipe 31,it passes to the primary inlet 33 of multi-stage converter column A,through converter stage B, to vestibule 34, to cooler No. 2 back tovestibule 34, to converter stage to vestibule 44, to cooler No. 3, backto vestibule 44, to converter stage D, to vestibule 54, to cooler No. 4,back to vestibule 54, to` converter stage E, to iinal outlet 50, tocooler No. 5, and thence through pipe 47 to the absorbing apparatus (notshown.) As the cooler elementsv are all located outside of the convertercolumn, the scale which tends to collect upon the .side walls of thecooler surfaces can not drop upcn and contaminate the catalyst as withconstructions in which the cooler elements are directly connected withand form sections of the converter column. In addition, the presentarrangement is more compact and simple in construction than the combinedcolumn of converter and cooler sections. Furthermore, any of the coolersections may be disconnected whenever necessary or desirable withoutdisturbing 0r dismantling the c olumn.

I prefer to make the partitions 38 as separate and individuallyremovable members. Inasmuch as the foraminated plates 11 of each of theconverter sections B, C, D, together with the supports or baskets onwhich such plates are mounted, are of adiameter smaller than theinterior diameter of the vertical sections, it follows that uponremoving the uppermost partition 38, the catalyst carrier of the firstconverter section B may be removed without disturbing the connectionbetween the inlet section 33 and the converter section B, and similarly,by a successive removal of the other partitions 38, the catalystcarriers of the lower converter section C, D, E may be lifted out of thecolumn A without dismembering the column proper.

It is preferable to keep the cooling medium flowing through thetransferrers or coolers, at a temperature above that at whichcondensation of H2804 will occur. At the beginning of the operation, theshutter 46 and the damper 43 are closed, so thatpthe blower 27 willcirculate the 'cooling medium (air) through the four coolers Nos. 1, 2,3, and 5 in closed paths until the temperature of such circulating airis raised to the pro er degree. If the temperature tends to rise urther,the shutter 46 is opened to admit cold air from the outside, so as tomaintain the temperature of the cooling medium within the desiredlimits, it being understood that the damper 43 controlling the purgestack 30 is also opened to discharge excess air. By a propermanipulation'of the dampers 42, 42, the amount of air propelled by theblower 27 can be apportioned variably among the individual coolers Nos.l, 2, 3, and 5.

Various modifications may be made without departing from the nature ofmy invention as set forth inthe appended claims.

I claim:

1. A multi-stage converter column comprisinga plurality of -spacedsuccessive converter sections and chambered sections interposed betweensaid sections, each of said chambered sections having a gas inlet and agas outlet and an inclined partition extending between said inlet andoutlet.

2. A multi-stage converter column comprising aplurality of s acedconverter sections, a chambered sect1on located between two adjacentconverter sections, and havin a -gas inlet, a gas outlet, and apartition tween such inlet and such outlet, saidA artition beingsecured'removably to its cham ered section so that upon takin out saidpartition, access may be had to t e converter section below withoutdisturbing the body of said chambered section or its connections;

3. In an` apparatus for conducting cata-lytic conversion processes, aconverter column havinge-plurality of successive converter stages zontalplane, each of said coolers forming a,

conduit for the passage of the gas to be converted, and connectionsbetween said coolers and the chambered sections of said column to causesaid gas to be passed through said coolers and the converter sections inalternation.

4. In an apparatus for conducting catalytic conversion processes, aconverter column having a plurality of successive converterstagesarranged in spaced relationship and chambered sections located at theends of said at each end of each of said successive con.- verter stages,each of said chambered sections being provided with means to permit theconnection thereto of a gas inlet pipe and a gas outlet pipe and withmeans to. direct the gas from said inlet through an adJacent converterstage and ,to prevent its passage .d1 rectly from said inlet pipe tosaid outlet pipe, a plurality of tubular coolers, one foreach of saidchambered sections .arranged to one side of said converter columnadjacent to its respective converter stage, said coolers being separatedfrom and independent of each other and said column, and havingtheir axishorizontally disposed, and conduits connecting each cooler with itsrespective chambered section to cause the gas to low serially-andsuccessi'vely through said coolers, chambered sections and converterstages.

In testimony whereof lI have hereunto set in hand.

y HANS o. C. isiaiaiiiaacv stages, means to subject the gas passing.-

throughsaid column to a plurality of successive coolings, said meanscomprising a plurality of independent tubular coolers positionedexternally of said converter column and having their longitudinal axisin a horizontal pla-ne, each of said coolers forming a lconduit for lthepassage of the gas undergoing conversion and being provided with meansto pass a cooling medium therethrough inv heat exchange relationshipwith said gas, and connections between said coolers and the chamberedsections of said column to cause said gas to be passed alternatively andsuccessively through said coolers and the converter sections.

5. In an apparatus for conducting catalytic conversion processes, aconverter column having a plurality of successive converter stagesarranged in spaced relationship, a chambered section located betweeneach adjacent pair of the successive converter stages and having agasinlet, a gas outlet, an-d a partition between such inlet-and suchoutlet, said partition being removably secured'to its chambered section,means to subject the gas passing through the column to a plurality ofsuccessive coolings, said means comprising a plurality of independentcoolers positioned externally of said converter column and having theirlongitudinal axis in a horizontal plane, each of said coolers forming aconduit for the passage of gases to be converted, and connectionsbetween each of said coolers and the gas inlet and outlet of itsrespective chamv bered section to cause said 'gas to be passed throughsaid coolers and converter sections in alternation.

6. In an apparatus for conducting catalytic vconversion processes, aconverter column having a plurality of successive converter stages,

a plurality of chambered sections, one located

